I Have No Son!
I Have No Son! is first episode of Season 2 of Rocko's Modern Life. It is a two part episode, the first one the show had. This episode first introduces Mr. and Mrs. Bighead's son, Ralph Bighead. Ralph is estranged from his parents due to his profession as a cartoonist, instead of being a corporate man like Ed Bighead wanted him to be. Plot Rocko and Filburt are watching a television show called the Fatheads, two old toads who whack each other in the head constantly, and find out that the creator of the show is Ralph Bighead. Rocko and Filburt wonder if Ralph is related to Ed and Bev. So Rocko goes to their house and ask them about their relationship with Ralph. But Ed denies having such a relationship and storms away. Bev, however, shows him a family photo of Ralph and says that she doesn't know how the alienation of Ralph precipitated in the first place before she bawls over him. So in deference to Bev, Rocko and Filburt travel to Hollowood and to the Bighead Studio, where the tour guide shows them around the area: the story department, the animation department, the camera room, and the screening room. When the tour guide shows the two toys of The Fatheads, Rocko notices Ralph walking with the rest of his assistants and he and Filburt follow him all the way to his office. When Rocko reminds Ralph of his parents (as well as their 30 anniversary party in the Viking room at the holiday hotel on Saturday), Ralph says that he never wants to see them again and goes ballistic. Filburt tries to get Ralph's picture, but only gets a photo of the door he slams shut instead. Ralph is watching an episode of The Fatheads on his portable television and turns it off when the show ends. He pushed a red button on the bottom of a ponderous photo of The Fatheads, causing the picture to slide up, revealing a safe. Ralph opens the safe and views half of a donut. He reminisces on how Ed once wanted Ralph to work at Conglom-O and the later breaks the donut in half in deference of his father. When he reveals to Ed that he didn't wanted to work at Conglom-O and is moving to Hollowood to become a cartoonist, the other employees become appalled and run out of the building. Ed becomes sour and says that he has no son. Back in reality, Ralph looks at the donut half in shame and closes the safe. At the Bigheads' 30 anniversary party, Rocko tries to explain the whole thing to Bev, but end up hanging on a chandelier (due to an elderly mistaking him for a female elder and dancing with him). Later, Ralph shows up and Ed is little more than frustrated of his appearance. They end up arguing about Conglom-O, but their feud for each other is cut short when Ralph shows Ed the half donut he saved after all those years. When he shows his son the other half of the donut he saved as well, the two put it back together and reunite as a family. Rocko and Filburt are watching TV with the Bigheads, in which The Fatheads' latest episode of the season premiere is being shown. The episode features the Fatheads’ neighbor named Rolo, an Australian beaver who strongly resembles Rocko. Everybody laughs, except for Rocko, who sees the character more as a travesty of himself. The episode ends with Heffer watching TV at his house saying that he doesn't get it. Characters Present *Rocko *Heffer Wolfe (cameo) *Spunky *Filburt Shellbach *Ed Bighead *Bev Bighead *Ralph Bighead (debut) *Chuck *Leon *The Fatheads Production Joe Murray described I Have No Son as one of his favorite episodes because it addressed issues affecting Murray, the directors, and the writers of the show. Murray also cited that The Fatheads were created by Doug Lawrence. Martin Olson describes I Have No Son as one of his favorite episodes as well and the "opening" of the Fatheads cartoon within the episode as one of his favorite individual scenes. Olson said that he and the team "howled laughing that we were putting over the airwaves such incredibly insane surrealism" after receiving and viewing the first batch of "The Fatheads" footage. Trivia *It is revealed that the Bigheads have a son, Ralph Bighead. *This is the first episode with the rerecorded theme song performed by the B-52s. *This is the first episode to last the full half-hour. *The "Never NEVER!" routine is an inside joke. When they got creator Joe Murray to audition to voice Ralph, they had him scream "NEVER!" various times, with the joke being that Murray is usually calm and quiet and would never EVER scream. *This is the first time where Rocko gets a wedgie. *Nickelodeon used to have a series promo based on the "NEVER!" scenes from the episode, it can be viewed here. *This is the first episode to air in 1994. *The title of the episode is based on a line from the 1927 movie The Jazz Singer where the main character is disowned by his father for going into pop music instead of becoming a synagogue cantor. Category:Episodes Category:Season 2 Category:Episodes staring Rocko Category:Episodes staring Heffer Category:Episodes staring Filburt Category:Episodes staring the Bigheads Category:Episodes staring Spunky Category:Episodes directed by Stephen Hillenburg Category:Episodes directed by Mr. Lawrence Category:Episodes storyboarded by Stephen Hillenburg Category:Episodes storyboarded by Mr. Lawrence Category:Episodes storyboarded by Mark O'Hare Category:Episodes storyboarded by Robert McNally-Scull Category:Episodes directed by Robert McNally-Scull Category:Episodes written by Joe Murray Category:Episodes written by Martin Olson Category:Episodes written by Stephen Hillenburg Category:Episodes written by Mark O'Hare Category:Episodes written by Mr. Lawrence Category:Episodes written by Robert McNally-Scull Category:Episodes directed by George Chialtas Category:Crossovers